23 January 2024 , 09:51
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Aston Villa striker Rachel Daly has revealed her heartwarming pre-match ritual with the Lionesses includes Chelsea defender Millie Bright kissing Daly’s wristband in honour of the goal-scorer’s late father.
Daly lost her father, Martyn, in September 2021. Since, the Euro2022 winner has worn white tape around her left wrist with the words ‘DAD’ etched onto it in black sharpie during every match.
After netting her first-ever World Cup goal last summer in the 6-1 rout of China in the group stages, Daly was seen kissing her wristband in tribute.
And it transpires that before every England match, team captain and Daly’s long-time best friend Bright kisses the wristband before every game in the squad changing room.”
“Obviously no one outside the changing rooms would see that,” Daly told the BBC ’s Unlocked.
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On Bright’s support following Daly’s father’s passing, Daly said: “Millie was just my rock. She was like, cry when you need to cry. Laugh when you need to laugh. Don't sleep when you don’t need to sleep. Having her there was, I can’t even describe it.”
The Lionesses star has owed her playing career to her father, stating previously: “He was the reason I played football, going back to birth really…I don’t think I’d have got that passion for the game if it wasn’t for him.”
Bright and Daly's friendship spans many years, and the pair commemorated its longevity over the summer with matching '1/2' tattoos on their hands.
Millie Bright and Rachel Daly have been long-time friends (Photo by Naomi Baker - The FA/The FA via Getty Images)On the matching ink, Daly explained: "It took us ages to find the right one and we ended up going with a half on our hands because she is the other half of me, my life is not complete without her."
She added: "[Bright] first came into the squad, it was only a couple of camps after me, and we just hit it off straight away. It was probably that Yorkshire connection - loud. We always knew, we kind of knew each other when she was at Donny and I was at Leeds and we never looked back."
Last season, Daly was named the PFA Women’s Player of the Year after her sensational goalscoring form saw her register 22 goals in her debut season with Villa, seeing her lay claim to the league’s Golden Boot and helping Villa to a historic fifth-place finish in the Women's Super League.
Daly has struggled to match her goalscoring exploits this season, though the striker was on hand to help a struggling Villa side to victory over Leicester City over the weekend as she fired home from close range in the first-half.
The goal marked Daly’s fifth goal of the season and secured a fourth win of the season for Carla Ward’s side, who are now seven points clear of the drop.